The United States Navy seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, M/V Touska, in the Sea of Oman after it ignored multiple warnings and failed to comply with instructions over a six-hour period.
According to the US Department of War, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111) tracked and stopped the ship as part of ongoing blockade enforcement operations.
The US Navy directed the crew to evacuate the engine room, and after continued non-compliance, the USS Spruance fired several rounds from its 5-inch MK 45 gun into the vessel’s engine room, disabling its propulsion.
Personnel from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the vessel, which remains in US custody.
US authorities said the action was taken in a deliberate and proportional manner to ensure compliance.
